Effect of plunge speeds on hook geometries and mechanical properties in friction stir spot welding of A6061-T6 sheets

The plunge speed of the tool was divided into two plunge speeds, including pin- and shoulder-plunging speeds, for a detailed study of the plunging process in friction stir spot welding of A6061-T6 sheets. The effect of the pin- and shoulder-plunging speeds on hook geometries and mechanical properties was investigated. The results showed that the shoulder-plunging speed had an obvious effect on the hook geometry and tensile shear load, but the pin-plunging speed had almost no effect. The effective bond width (W (eff)) and effective sheet thickness (T (eff)) used to describe the hook geometry were important factors for determining the tensile shear load and fracture mode. Two fracture modes were observed: tensile/shear mixed fracture and shear fracture. The largest tensile shear load was obtained when the joint failed in the tensile/shear mixed fracture.